Kier



March 30, 1937.

o P. CURTIS 2,075,180

KIER

Filed July 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm O. P Cur 3,119

March 30, 1937. o. P. CURTIS,

KIEP

Filed July 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 30, 1937' UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to kiers; and it comprises. a kier for processing textiles with weak caustic soda solution and similar liquors, the, kier having a smooth-contoured, smooth-surfaced,

5 permanently polished interior surface of a material having a low coeflicient of friction with,

respect to wet cloth, being incorrodible by such liquors, being free of irregularities or projections and ordinarily being a smooth layer of polished .10 nickel; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

Woven or knitted fabrics such as cotton goods and the like are usually boiled out with a weak caustic soda solution or a similar alkaline liquor,

prior to other processing steps such as bleaching or dyeing. This boiling .out is really a scouring operation and is intended to get rid of oil, grease, dirt, sizing material put in the goods for weaving purposes, and the natural waxy constituents 'of the vegetable fiber, putting the goods in better condition for subsequent bleaching and dyeing. In practice, the goods are put in a kier and heated with the solution, the solution being circulated through the kier to ensure penetration of the liqnor to all portions of the goods.' The kier is a large cylindrical steel closed tank, usually vertical, adapted to hold a batch of cloth and liquor and provided with means for controlling flow of liquid through the kier andthe cloth; the liquor in circuit usually going through heating means. Substantial construction is necessary since the tank is large and carries a heavy weight of liquid and is, further, sometimes operated under pressure. Riveted or welded joints are used.

5 There are two sources'of damage and loss in boiling out processes carried out in conventional steel kiers. One is rust staining of the cloth and the other is abrasion on the walls of the kier, which causes friction marks or rough places on 40 the cloth. Spoilage of cloth due to these two causes is a'large and serious item in the cost of textile manufacture.

An iron kier shell probably wouldnot rust if it were always kept filled with caustic alkaline solution. However, in practice this is not done.

Kiers are notused this way. After a batch of.

cloth has been boiled out in the kier the practice is to drain off the alkaline liquor, and wash the cloth in the kier with a large quantity (e; g. 10000 to 20000 gallons) of water of zero hardness, to remove all excess caustic from the cloth. This water wash leaves the walls of the kier as naked iron, free from any sort of protective film and in a condition verysusceptible to corrosion or rusting. The kier must-be left in this condition until another batch 'of cloth is boiled out,'

which may not be until several hours, days or weeks have elapsed. Rusting of the kier shell inevitably takes place. Conditions are ideal for rusting. When cloth is next boiled out in the kier, some of the rust comes off v and stains the cloth. With most cotton goods any trace of rust stains greatly increases production costs, by requiring extra processing operations for removing the stainswith oxalic. acid. In many cases rust stains cannot be satisfactorily removed and the fabrics are unsalable; are waste.

Formation of rust gives rise to another and even more serious source. of loss. An iron shell is never really smoothand it becomes rougher in the course of time. Rust aggravates this condition. Alternate rusting and removal of rust, such as takes place in ordinary operations inthe "course of months, leaves the iron surface pitted and rough. The rougher the shell becomes, the greater are the abrasionv losses. Any substantial abrasion of the fabric puts it in the "seconds? class. Sometimes the amount of cloth of "seconds and unsalable quality is equal to v the amount of perfect cloth. For example, with cloth boiled out in preparation for dyeing with sulfur-brown colors the amount of cloth damaged byfriction marks usually runs from 50 to 66 per cent of the total. With cloth treated for vat dyeing friction damage may cause the rejection of 20 to 30 per cent of the cloth, depending on thecondition of the kier.

However, even a new, unrusted iron kier wall is not really smooth; abrasion occurs to some degree.

To lessen damages due to rusting in an iron kier, it has become a practice to line these kiers with cement, lime plaster or a mixture of lime and cement. Properly made cement or concrete is resistant to caustic soda solution and spoilage due to staining is substantially eliminated, provided the cement covers the, iron completely. But with cement linings the qu estion of abrasion is still serious. Concrete, even when made with a very fine aggregate, has a rough'surface which cannot be given any degree of polish. The cloth,

moving continuously against this rough surface,

is abraded, roughened and worn. Spoilage due to abrasion in cement lined kiers with an old lining often becomes serious.

This is usually done by circulating the liquid at a kier of such character that the cloth and liquid in the kier can be subjected to much more violent circulation than has hitherto been practicable. As a result the treatment in the kier is more eflicient and treatment time is materially reduced.

In the present invention a kier is provided having a smooth, permanently polished incorrodible interior surface of material resistant to the action of alkaline solutions and of low coeflicient of friction, free of projections and irregularities,

and without corners or angles. For the present purposes, the coeflicient of friction is the value obtained by pulling a piece of soaking wet cloth, loaded with a weight, over a horizontal surface. The coefiicient of friction is equal to the force required to draw the cloth over the surface, divided by the weight of the loading weight and the cloth together. l

The best material I have found for my purpose is polished nickel and I provide the kier with a lining of nickel made without projections, rivets, ridges, or corners. A kier with such a lining may be made in several ways. One way adapted for new installations is to build the kier of polished nickel-clad steel with welded unions. This is, however, relatively expensive and there is, moreover, some diiiiculty in shaping to get the required time of streamline contours. For existing installations, it is sometimes simpler to line the iron or steel kier with concrete in the usual way and place a nickel shell of the proper contour within the .concrete lining. Or, the nickel shell may be put in place with a proper spacing from the walls and concrete poured in between the two metals. Either way enables the use of existing steel or iron kiers of the usual riveted construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown more or less diagrammatically, several examples of specific embodiments of apparatus within the scope of the invention. In-the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view, partly in central vertical section and partly in elevation of a kier provided with a nickel lining according to one modification of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view similar to Fig. 2 of a kier having a modified partition;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view-of a detail of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 2, showing the manner of retaining the nickel lining to the shell Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of modifications of the structure of Fig. 5;

, r Fig. 8 shows a modified way of attaching the lining; Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing the kier shell with lining;

Fig. 10' is a fragmental sectional view taken along line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 12 is an enlarged'detail view of a portion of Fig. showing how the liquid inlet is brought through the kier wall, and

Fig. 13 shows a liquid outlet arrangement.

In the showings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout, Fig. 1 shows a complete kier embodying the invention. The kier has a cylindrical shell 26 usually of iron, having a rounded top 2| and a rounded bottom 22. The top is provided -with an opening 23 for insertingand removing'cloth, the opening being provided with a detachable cover 24, as shown. The bottom rests on suitable supports 25 and has an opening 26 at its lowest point in communication with a conduitll leading to the inlet 28 of acirculating pump 29. The outlet of the pump is in communication through a conduit 30 with a horizontal pipe 3| extending through the shell, a

zontal discoid partition 36 having two or more openings 31. The partition defines a large upper chamber 38 and a smaller lower chamber 39. In chamber 39 is positioned a steam coi1'40. Chamber 38 is adapted to contain a batch of cloth indicated at 4|.

According to the invention, the kier is provided with a smooth-contoured, polished nickel lining.

The lining is shown in two parts: one, a cylindrical lining 42 smaller than and concentric with shell 20; the other portion of the-lining being applied to discoid partition 36 and comprising a.

.nickel sheet 43 covering partition 36 and having openings 44 corresponding to openings 31. The upper rim of lining 42 is flared as at 43. The narrow annular space between lining 42 and shell 20 is filled with concrete or cement 45, in a mannor to be described.

The details of the lining are shown in Figs. 2 et seq. Fig. 2 is a plan view in section and shows the inner polished nickel lining 42, the interme-\ diate annulus of cement 45 and the outer shell 20. The outer shell is shown as of conventional riveted construction with two riveted lap joints indicated at 50. Thus the outer shell departs slightly from a true circular cylinder. The nickel lining, however, is truly cylindrical. The lining is provided with several longitudinally extending supporting beams, shown as six III-beams 5|, equally spaced from each other. These beams are an inch or so thick, to provide an annular space for the cement of the order'of an inch in thickness. The beams are welded to the nickel lining as indicated at 52 and are attached to the shell by expansion bolts 53, as shown (Fig. 5). This arrangement givesflrm attachment and prevents any deformation of the nickelshell. Fig. 5 also shows one way of making the joint in the nickel lining. .The abutting edges of the lining are turned up into flanges 66 as shown, with an interposed strip of plastic gasketing material 6|. Metal straps 62 are disposed adjacent thefianges and the assembly is retained by a series of bolts and nuts 6.3, the straps and flanges being appropriately perforated as indicated at 64. Advantageously the joint is completed by welding as at 65.

Figs. 6 and 7 show alternative ways of forming the joint in the lining. Fig. 6 is a welded turnedover lap joint and Fig. 7 is merely a welded flange.

Because of the support afiorded by the concrete filler (to be described), the structure of Fig. 7 is in most cases sufliciently strong.

75 the pipe. H

is usually simpler to provide the-disc of separate.

metal.

Kiers of the type shown are often provided with an upwardly extending pipe 49,- arranged to put the chamber 39 in open communication with the upper portion of the kier (above level 35) and thus to facilitate rapid circulation. The pipe can be nickel-plated with a heavy coating of metal.

In installing the nickel wall lining in an existing kier, the procedure is first to drill holes in the shell for bolts 53. Then I-beams 5| are set in place and the positions of the bolts located therein, by means of a center punch for example. The I-beams are then appropriately drilled and threaded. A polished nickel cylindrical lining is provided of proper shape and size and the I- beams are welded to it at the proper intervals to insure matching with bolts 53. The lower portion of the nickel lining is provided with a flange 10 (Fig. 11), supported by a ring H of L-shaped cross section welded to the lining as at 12. Ring H is advantageously rounded as at 13, and flange 10 rounded to correspond, so as to eliminate any sharp edge. The ring is retained to I-beams 5! by means of straps 14, riveted to the I-beams as at I5 and welded to the ring as at 16.

When the disc 43 is installed, the lining'is now slipped into place and bolts 53 screwed in. The liquid inlet connections are brought through in a manner indicated in Fig. 12. A hole 40 80 is provided in the nickel lining fitting inlet pipe 3l, and a distributing nozzle and connections 8| which is attached to the pipe. Then, before flaring lip 48 is turned down, inlet pipe- 31 is welded to the nickel lining as indicated at 82. The annular space between the nickel lining and the shell is now filled up with cement, which should be quite liquid to insure filling all spaces. I find that a mixture of one part Portland cement, three parts fine sand and water in amount suflicient to form a rather liquid mix works well. The upper lip is turned over and welded to the shell as indicated at 83. This completes the lining. v

' The kier lined as described gives much more satisfactory operation than iron or concrete-lined kiers. After long periods of use the lining remains intact and even retains its original high polish. Damage of .cloth due toabrasion is eliminated. No staining whatever occurs. The coeificient of friction of the kier shell of polished nickel, determined as described, is approximately 0.4; that of an ordinary iron kier surface is at least 0.8 and is much greater than this when the iron is rusty or is pitted due to previous rusting.

In certain types of kiers an outlet connection is required in the kier wall. Fig. 13 shows a good way of bringing an outlet through the wall of a kier having a lining made according to the present invention. As shown, an outlet pipe 90 is provided, extending through the kier shell and supported on the shell'by collars 9| riveted to the shell a 92 ,The nickel lining is perforated as indicated a 'n the region over the orifice of ning is then welded to inner collar 9| as indicated at 94. The type of kier for which this outlet arrangement is particularly suitable is'best provided with an extension lining 95, above the outlet. This lining takes the form of a flanged cylinder, as shown, and is welded to top 2| as at 36. The space between the lining and the kier shellis filled with concrete.

Figs. 3 and 4 show an alternative partition construction which is advantageous in certain 1nstallations. As shown, a discoid partition Hill is provided with a large number of perforations I0 I The'partition is'covered with a layer of nickel I02, correspondingly perforated as at I03. One convenient way to make this partition is to punch out the holes in a sheet of iron overlayed'with a sheet of nickel. The holes should be formed somewhat as indicated in Fig. 4, with rounded edges, to minimize abrasion. r

The constructions illustrated are particularly useful in providing existing kiers with a nickel lining; though they may be used with equal success in making an original kier. An arrangemeht which is especially economical in making a nickel lined kier is shown in Fig. 8. A kier shell of conventional iron construction, having one or more riveted joints 50 only one of which is shown in Fig. 8, is provided with a thin polished nickel lining in direct contact with the shell, as indicated at 0 and anchored at the top and bottom to the shell by welding in a manner similar to that indicated at the top of Fig. 13. According to the invention projections such as the rivet heads are eliminated. This is accomplished by spacing the lap joint ill of the nickel lining away from the rivet joint, and introducing a thin layer of metal, concrete or cement H2 between the rivet joints and the lining. Ordinarily, this type of construction is perfectly satpressure does not'have access to the space between the lining and the shell.

A kier within the scope of the invention can be constructed from polished nickel-clad metal, or heavily nickel-plated metal. In so doing, it is essential to avoid exposed riveted or ordinary exposed welded joints. A kier can be built up of nickel-clad sheets by welding or riveting, and then the weld or rivet joint is covered up by an arrangement such as indicated in Fig. 8. Thus the projections are eliminated and there is no chance for the cloth to become roughened.

While the kier has particular utility in connection with the operation of boiling out cotton goods, it also can be used to advantage in bleaching and dyeing. In these uses it presents outstanding advantages over existing kiers. The smooth surface and rounded contours of the kier lining make it possible to submit the cloth and liquor in the kier to violent agitation. Treatment time can be substantially reduced. The surface of the kier lasts indefinitely even under the drastic conditions to which the kier is subjected. Rust stains and friction marks are obviated.

Horizontal kiers can be provided according to the invention with a polished nickel interior surface. The same advantages are secured.

What I claim is:-

1. A kier for processing textiles in alkaline liquors under such conditions that the textiles are moved about in the kier by circulation of liquor therein and rubbing against the kier takes place incidental to the, operatiomsaid kier comprising a container shell adapted to hold a charge of liquor, having an interior surface comprising nickel and being' permanently incorrodible by the liquors, being smooth-contoured and rounded,

and polished so as to have a coefllcient of fric spect to wet cloth, not greater than about 0.4,

whereby staining and friction, marking of the textiles are eliminated.

3. A kier for boiling out textiles with alkaline liquors under such conditions-that a strong circulation is induced in the textiles, said kier comprising a container shell, adapted to hold a charge of liquor partially filling the shell, a smooth-contoured, rounded lining for the shell, .of uniformly polished nickel having a coefiicient of friction with respect to wet cloth equal .to not more than about 0.4, a vent pipe puttin'g'the lower portion of the kier adjacent the steam coilinto communication with the upper portion of the kier above the liquor level, and means for circulating the liquor through the kier under such conditions as to produce agitation or movement of thetextiles in the kier, staining and friction marking of the textiles being eliminated.

4. A kier for processing textiles in alkaline liquors under such conditions that rubbing of the textiles against the kier takes place incidental to operation, said kier comprising an outer shell, an interior smooth contoured, rounded lining free of irregularities and projections and'being' of uniformly polished nickel having a coefficient of friction with respect to wet cloth of'not. over about 0.4, longitudinally extending spaced'girder means for supporting said lining inside the shell, and cementitious filling material between the lining and the shell.

ORMAN PHILLIPS 5 

